The Kansas City Chiefs are slight favorites to win Super Bowl LIX. Pulling off that result makes them the first NFL team to win three consecutive Super Bowl titles. That advantage stems from having two-time NFL Most Valuable Player Patrick Mahomes behind center.
However, the Philadelphia Eagles have a solid defensive unit with stars in all three phases of their formation. They have Jalen Carter in the defensive line, Zach Baun in the linebacker spot, and rookies Quinyon Mitchell and Cooper DeJean in the secondary.
There’s no coverage that Mahomes hasn’t seen, though. Likewise, the three-time Super Bowl champion hasn’t lost to a Vic Fangio-coached defense. But for the Eagles to have a shot at winning this Super Bowl, they must delay Mahomes’ ball release. Otherwise, great things will happen for the Chiefs.
Good things happen when Mahomes can get rid of it pic.twitter.com/dr9xPUokSv
— NFL on ESPN (@ESPNNFL) February 6, 2025
As the NFL on ESPN account on X/Twitter pointed out, the Chiefs have a 39-1 win-loss record if Mahomes throws the ball in 2.75 seconds or less. That number results in 98 touchdowns and 13 interceptions and 288 yards per game.
Therefore, the Eagles must disrupt Mahomes’ timing to improve their winning odds. Likewise, going into offensive drives that consume much of the game clock will limit the Chiefs’ opportunities to put points on the board.
-Lance Fernandez